Daejeon to host 2026 Bread Festival this weekend

The 2026 Daejeon Bread Festival, a celebration of the city's distinctive bakery culture, will be held Saturday and Sunday at Expo Science Park.

A total of 120 local bakeries — more than last year — will take part, each presenting signature menus that reflect their individual character. Through exhibitions, hands-on experiences and performances centered on bread, the festival aims to give residents and tourists a memorable autumn outing.

An opening ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, the first day of the festival. The event kicks off with a cutting performance featuring a 15-meter-long roll cake, accompanied by a celebratory stage show.

The centerpiece of this year's festival is "Bread Station," where visitors can browse all 120 participating bakeries in one place. The zone is divided into five sections — A through E — to help visitors easily find the shops they want. Items are available at least 5 percent below regular store prices.

The "Bread Gallery" offers a single-stop overview of all 120 participating bakeries, showcasing each brand's story, signature menu and store information. Organizers hope the gallery will serve as a guide for "bread pilgrimages" — encouraging festival-goers to follow up with actual visits to the bakeries.

Beyond tasting, the festival adds the fun of baking. The "Bakery Lab," run in partnership with local universities, offers Dubai Chewy Cookie-making and other pastry and baking workshops. The "Special Class" program features fresh-fruit cake and shakerato-making on the first day, and science-themed activities on the second — including a fossil-dig Dubai Chewy Cookie excavation experience and a coffee extraction experiment. The "Bread Imagination Workshop" rounds out the hands-on offerings with creative projects such as making bread-themed keycap figurines and decorating bread-shaped mood lamps.

Visitor participation programs are equally varied. The main stage hosts the "Bread Jam Olympics" — a family-friendly competition featuring bread-tower stacking and bread-picture guessing games. Visitors who present a bread purchase receipt can also join a range of play activities, including a bread drop, oven-timer challenge, bread-touch game and bread basketball.

Throughout the festival grounds, local artists will perform in a busking series, alongside fringe cultural performances and the Daejeon Blues Original Song Contest. A photo zone featuring Daejeon's mascot characters, the Kkumssi Family, and a flea market will also be on hand. Local creators will sell handcrafted goods and design items inspired by the Kkumssi Family at the market.

The city of Daejeon will set up dedicated eating areas and rest zones so visitors can enjoy the festival comfortably, and will operate a designated rest area for families with infants and for elderly or disabled visitors. A companion service — where dedicated staff accompany visitors to help with navigation — and Braille leaflets will also be provided to improve accessibility for those who need extra support.

As this is the first time the festival is being held at Expo Science Park, organizers have put particular effort into transportation. About 3,600 parking spaces across eight lots near the venue have been secured, and shuttle buses will run for public transit users. Shuttles connecting Government Complex Station to the venue will run every 15 minutes, while a separate route linking Daejeon Station's east plaza to the venue will operate hourly. A public bicycle station will be expanded at Exit 4 of Government Complex Station.

A range of cultural and experiential events will also take place in the surrounding area. The 2026 Daejeon Content Fair, featuring 127 content companies, will run Friday through Sunday at Hall 2 of the Daejeon Convention Center. The Daejeon e-sports arena will host the PUBG Mobile Pro Series 2026 Season 2 Finals on Saturday and Sunday.

The 10th Safe Daejeon Safety Experience Festival will be held Friday and Saturday at Expo Citizens' Plaza, and Saturday will also see the announcement ceremony for the Invictus Games Daejeon 2029 at the circular lawn of Hanbat Arboretum. The Expo Bridge will host nighttime experience programs and busking performances tied to the 2026 Delight Expo Bridge project, offering entertainment from daytime through the evening.

Daejeon Mayor Heo Tae-jeong said the city is home to bakeries with long histories and diverse charms, woven together with rich cultural content. "I hope visitors will enjoy not only the delicious bread at this year's festival but also the surrounding cultural events, and experience the full appeal of Daejeon," he said.

He added that the city would do its utmost to ensure safe and comfortable festival operations for both residents and visitors.